When the word ‘bunker’ had first come up, my mind had brought forward images that wouldn’t look out of place in a World War Two documentary. Or rather, that's probably precisely where I got the imagery from. A long, dusty memory from my childhood. Dingy lights, fading white paint on brick walls, basic metal bunk beds with plain covers. Rows of shelving holding anything canned and preservable. That very gritty feeling of being underground and having to make do best you could.
While the actual bunker I now found myself in wasn’t the complete opposite, it was enough of a contrast to make my brain freeze for a few moments and take it in.
Rather than sprawling rooms dug out and sectioned off for different purposes, this was wholly a single chamber. Maybe twenty-five to thirty feet square. The brickwork was tidy and contemporary. Modern and unblemished in a way that seemed to further indicate that it had been built recently. The almost soft-blue lighting illuminating everything picked up the shapes that were the true focus of Bernie’s confusion.
Three… pods on each side of the room, left and right.
My immediate point of reference was that they looked like they were straight out of a science fiction movie. Metallic cylinders with glass panels from the waist to just above the head area. Tilted back at a slight angle so that the occupants could relax a little while they… did something. They looked like alien germination chambers or cryogenic containers to keep us safe during whatever was happening to the world. That couldn’t be the case, surely?
“This is… strange,” I eventually managed.
Bernie gave me a slight nod as he tried to look through the glass of one of the pods. “I thought there might be radiation suits in them, but they’re empty.”
I went to open my mouth again, before the back wall flickered as if it was a giant screen. With a wince, I watched as rows of text appeared on the possibly projected monitor.
Calamity In Progress
Proceed to the STAR Chambers.
Stand and defend Earth.
Existence requires it. Save the World.
“Save the world,” I repeated. “What the fuck?” My mind was too busy swinging between this being a weird dream or some kind of prank, that I didn’t realize the most obvious thing right in front of me.
As my chest continued to ache, the drips of a very real threat ran through the cracks in my overwhelmed mind.
There were no facilities here to survive long term. No food. Beds. Bathroom or medical supplies. We weren’t… meant to stay here.
“I’m not sure I’m spritely enough to be a hero,” Bernie said, taking me out of the momentary panic. He had his eyes squinted at the screen, concentrating on the words.
I looked over at the pods again. Maybe it was some kind of viral epidemic? A disease or something airborne that we needed to be inoculated against. A problem that was either brief, or something that would take a short amount of time for us to recover from - hence the bunker being so basic.
“Only one way to find out, right?” I gave him the most confident smile I was able. Given that my chest twitched with pain at the attempt, it probably came out as more of a grimace.
“Hmm.” He turned slowly, running his eyes over the room. “Anything you see here that is slightly odd, dear?”
I tried to follow his gaze, but other than noticing the machines had ‘STAR’ embossed at the tops of the pod, the answer was rather straightforward. “Uh, pretty much everything, Bernie.”
The man gave me a soft smile before his eyes went back to his search, gesturing with his hand. “Something like this... there would be a government agency involved. They are always eager to stick their claim to something. There are no logos or crests, however.”
While I was keen to dig into this interesting nugget of clarity and perhaps something about his past life, I felt the current situation was more pressing. The text on the screen hadn’t changed, but it felt like we were running out of time.
“What are you saying, then? This… STAR is like a private company or something?” The possibility of this being something ten times more untoward that I first thought flashed through my mind. I had seen a few SAW movies. Still, the city had seemed to be in disarray, so we couldn’t have been picked up specifically.
“No idea.” Bernie offered me an apologetic shrug, some tiredness on his expression once more. “At this point, I could do with a lie down no matter who built this. How are you feeling?”
I almost blurted out that was fine, before reeling that thought back. I wasn’t. “Overwhelmed. I just beat the brains out of a wild animal who almost tore my throat out. We are shut in a bunker where our options are getting in these contraptions or facing an unknown and possibly fatal threat.” I sighed and rubbed at my head. “Was it too much to ask for a shower, a soft bed, and a little peace? Just for one night?”
In answer to my wailings, the monitor gave out a light beep. We turned our attention to it and read the new line of text that had appeared.
Local threat level increasing.
“Jesus Christ,” I whispered.
Bernie nodded, turning his eyes back to me. “I think I’ll take my chances with these booths, dear.”
Part of me wanted to dissuade him, but I didn’t know why. It wasn’t like we had a lot of choice, but I was full of scrambled eggs and blunt force trauma. I had tried to be more risk averse as of late so as to not invite more trouble into my life… but perhaps it was time to just grab the bull by the horns.
“Alright. Let me help you get in one,” I offered. “Then I’ll go in the one opposite, so we should be able to see each other still?”
“So thoughtful.” One of his more charming smiles crossed his face. “Perhaps I should give you my number as well.”
I rolled my eyes as I led him over to one of the metal cylinders. “Less flirting, more surviving the end of the world. Too soon to see if I have any friend slots open.”
His grin continued, and he gave me a nod. “You’re a kind soul, Scarlet.”
“Eh. You caught me on a good day.” I wrapped my hand into the handle on the right side of the end pod. “Or, well, as good as you could consider this day.”
Bernie looked down at my hand. “Did you want to explain more about how you were careless?”
I hesitated, an odd question to suddenly jab me with. With the world possibly ending, perhaps letting a few things go wouldn't be so bad... “Have you ever… crossed the wrong person?”
His eyebrow raised. “I’m not sure if that’s you opening up, or you are threatening me.”
With a sigh, I reeled it back in. No energy. “If we die because you’re wasting time trying to squeeze my life story out, you’ll find out how sour I can get.”
He gave me a wink and a smile. “Maybe later, then.”
I pulled on the handle and the pod open up like a doorway, the circular front side rotating over hinges on the left. With some better lighting, I could see the near-vertical bed in there. Well, not a bed—it looked more like a padded leather pilot’s seat. Even had two elbow-height arm rests with handles to hold. Plain and inert, but the fact that we’d need to brace ourselves was worrying. There was even a slight divot on the base for our feet to fit in.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Stepping out of the way, I gestured for Bernie to enter.
Either he wasn’t worried, or was much better at hiding it. There was an element of autopilot that resonated with me. Following a path because we had too few answers for the constant barrage of panicked questions.
He grabbed the right handle and leaned into the back padding, shuffling his feet into place. Now, looking at me with some apprehension, he managed a smile. “You know, a black blazer would look much smarter than your navy one, since you’re wearing black slacks.”
I looked down at my outfit. It had needed a good wash long before I rolled around in the dirt with the boar. Not really something I had put together with the intent of looking fashionable, but it was comfortable in a way. Reminded me of… I shot the man a sour look. “The tie would have brought it together, but I had already used it to tie something up.”
“Ominous,” he replied, gripping his left on the other handle.
“Van repairs,” I murmured, which was close enough to the truth. “You ready?”
Bernie gave me a slow nod, before then giving a series of slightly more sure ones. “I’m not getting any younger. Let’s see where this rabbit hole leads.”
I admired his confidence. The pod cover clipped in place as I pulled it back over, sealing him within. I took a step away, able to see him almost clearly. He seemed fine, still in good spirits. I’m not claustrophobic, I convinced myself as I walked over to the pod opposite. The screen hadn’t changed again, and there was no ambient noise coming from the outside world. Still, I felt the pressure of the unknown.
With a deep breath through aching lungs, I gripped the door and pulled it open. The smell of fresh leather washed over me as I pulled my face at the identical internals. Locked in a box, locked in another box. It didn’t make me feel any safer, though. Just… pinned in place. Easy to find.
I stepped in, sinking myself against the reasonably soft padded back. Grabbed the left handle and leaned forward to pull the front closed. I held my breath as it clipped in place, the slight hiss of it pressurising causing a spike of panic to run up my back.
Now what? I hadn’t thought this far ahead. It was enough to just go with the flow in hopes that we could emerge on the right side of whatever doom was happening outside.
My view of Bernie across the room was suddenly obscured as a holographic blue screen painted itself across the inside of the glass. Text typed out across it, similar to how the bigger monitor looked. My injured right hand ached as I gripped the handle tighter.
STAR Integration
Scanning for Compatibility
Please hold…
I already was. My eyes almost burned with how intently I was glaring at this new horror. Why did I now have to worry about compatibility with something? I tried to regulate my breathing, and avoid thinking about this small space I was now stuck in.
A blue light ran down from the top of the pod, washing over me from head to toes. I shivered involuntarily, as if the beam was cold. Just as soon as it reached the floor, it vanished, and the screen updated.
95% Compatible.
Please confirm Integration.
Warning: Integration failure will result in death.
STAR is required for survival.
Death. “What is this?” My mouth felt dry. It was acting as though I had a choice, but it looked to me that I was dead either way. The odds were decent, but gambling on my life was a little above my normal…
My thoughts switched away, and I tilted my head to the side to see beyond the screen. I could just about see Bernie there. He looked to be reading his own holographic screen intently.
“Bernie?” I yelled, my voice no doubt muffled from having to travel through the two pods before reaching him. “Are you okay? What does your scan say?”
It took him a moment, but then he also tilted his head to see that I was addressing him. I couldn’t tell if it was his confidence that had gone, or he was just concentrated and confused. “Sorry, dear?” his voice came back quiet, dull.
“Compatibility. What’s yours?”
His eyes darted between me and the screen before him. “Forty percent,” he replied.
“Shit… fuck!” I clenched my jaw. How could I even advise him? It wasn’t like I had any better idea of what we were getting ourselves into. “That sounds dangerous… I don’t think you should-”
“I’ve already accepted.”
For perhaps the fourth time tonight, my food rolled around my stomach, threatening to escape. I didn’t fully understand the weight of the situation yet, but it was still pressed heavily on me. As much as I wanted out of this, there wasn’t anything I could do.
I let my more reckless side take over, if only so that I didn’t fill the footwell with half-digested eggs. It always helped my focus when I had something immediately threatening me.
With a deep breath, I hit the Yes button before I could change my mind. The screen updated.
STAR Integration activated.
Please remain stationary.
System installation in process…
It reminded me of having to update my computer—back when I had one. Any problem with it, and I could just wipe everything clean and start over. Any potential irony in that statement left my mind as something jabbed me in the side of the neck.
“Fuck,” I murmured, trying not to wince away from wherever the needle had popped out from.
Vertigo washed through my body, partially induced due to the flare of panic as I accepted my inevitable demise. That was a one in twenty chance. I had rolled a few natural ones in my brief time trying out tabletop gaming. Today felt like an unlucky day. They all were.
A cold sensation bloomed from the point of injection, causing me to shiver as it felt as though ice was running through my veins. Not painful, but extremely uncomfortable. I hissed as I tightened my grip on the handles, knuckles white. The screen continued to remind me to stay put, and it took all I had to stop myself from squirming and trying to get away from the odd feeling.
To distract myself, I tried to glare through the screen at Bernie. It wasn’t quite transparent enough to make out much other than he was still there. No point shouting at him, and I doubted that I could even open my mouth enough to yell with how tense I was all over.
As if to further my feeling out of place, a dull hum started to radiate through my ears. It wasn’t coming from the pod itself, however. As I closed my eyes and tried to filter out the chill that was causing my bruised torso in agony, the pitch of it rose until it was like tinnitus. A constant ringing like my head was winding up to explode.
A sudden jolt of warmth had my eyes opened wide. It was as if the chill spread throughout my veins had been switched with fire in an instant. I gasped for air as my lungs burned, sweat already starting to bead on my head from the fever.
My ears popped, muting sounds for a while as the screen in front of me flickered. The text changed and my blurry eyes struggled to read the new message.
STAR System Complete.
Integration Successful.
Any slight joy I might have had at not dying to this process was dulled, as my head felt like it was full of cotton wool. My lungs cooled as I sucked in more air, rasping as if I had been holding my breath the whole time. Just as my thoughts switched to Bernie, the screen zipped out of existence and the pod hissed and popped open itself.
I took another few deep breaths, still pinned in place by my own panic, as I watched the pod opposite also open up. As the door swung open to the side, I could see Bernie there. His eyes were closed, and he was leaning back, relaxed.
“Bernie?” I croaked, my voice barely leaving my mouth. Was he dead? I needed to get closer to check.
My aching hands slipped from the handles as I tried to take my first step, realizing too late that my legs were like jelly. I wobbled and stumbled before dropping to the ground. My arms had lost their strength too, and I struggled to push myself up so that I could look at him. Despite it being none of my concern and totally out of my control, I’d never forgive myself if Bernie had passed due to this.
I groaned as I tried to pull myself forward. My eyes burned as if I had dust in them, and constantly watered. Blinking didn’t seem to help, like I was getting a migraine. My vision was spotty. Fuzzy at the edges.
With a frown, I turned my head over to the side.
Toward the doorway, there was the smell of something overwhelming that I couldn’t place. Like burned out electrical components or ash. As my hearing gradually returned to normal, I could pick out a light crackling noise. Had something malfunctioned? I tried to scour both Bernie’s pod and the ones beside his, but other than the visual artefacts getting in the way, I couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
Other than everything about this, still.
I tempered my breathing and pushed myself up into a sitting position. Now able to prop myself up, I waited in anticipation for… who knew what at this point? Was I now safe from whatever was plaguing the world? I didn’t feel good. I didn’t feel… safe.
The space between me at the metal door leading out of here seemed insurmountable in my current state, and all I wanted to do was run. To what end, though? I needed to check on Bernie, and I could just be escaping from the frying pan and into the fire.
No. As soon as I was sure he was okay, we’d need to plan to leave here. I could do this.
Just as I had gathered my resolve, the crackling noise coming from the air ahead of me started to glow a blue light. At first it was just a small orb, like a marble—but it expanded.
Too exhausted and blinded to really understand or do anything, I watched as the light grew longer and spread out. Shapes began to form. Legs and arms, the glowing blue contained by a faint wireframe mesh of white.
It was a man. Dressed in a suit that put mine to shame, he didn’t move until he was fully formed. While I sat frozen, he ran a hand through messy hair and adjusted his collar. A glum expression filled his face as he then glanced over at Bernie, before he looked back down at me.
Although his mouth opened and closed as expected, his voice came through hollow and somewhat painful to my currently sensitive hearing.
“Welcome to the apocalypse, Scarlet,” he said.